NY woman, 86, falls off cliff while raking leaves

NEWFANE, N.Y. (AP) – Authorities say an 86-year-old western New York woman tumbled off a cliff while doing yard work and clung to a tree for an hour before being rescued.

The Niagara Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/WvZl9k) that Beverly Blewett was raking leaves in her backyard in the town of Newfane on Thursday afternoon when the ground along the edge of a creek gave way. That caused her to plunge 30 feet into the 100-foot-deep ravine.

Blewett held onto a tree for about an hour before a neighbor heard her cries for help and called 911.

Two law enforcement officers lowered a rope to Blewett, and firefighters used a stretcher to haul her out of the ravine. She suffered bruises and scratches and was treated at a Buffalo hospital.

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Information from: Niagara Gazette.

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